The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1887-05-19
Temperance Address by Mrs. Woodbridge, Of
Ohio.

The meeting held in the Belfast Opera House
Monday night, under the auspices of the W. c. T.
u, was 4 surprise even to the earnest and SAN
guinc women of the local Union. They had ex-
pccted, and had prepared the lecturer, for beg
carly array OF empty benches; but instead the
eyes of those who occupied the stage were glad
dened by large and attentive audience, who re-
manned seated until the close. The exercises were
opened with singing "Thc Morning Light is Break
ing" Mrs. Woodbridge, of Ohio, read from the
Scriptures and Mrs. B. c. Wentworth offered an
eloquent and earnest prayer. Then Miss Maud
Millikcn sang in her usual acceptable manner. to
piano accompaniment by Miss Mary Faunce. Miss
Charlotte W. Colburn, who was to have sung. was
unfortunately kept at home by illness. The stage
was prettly decorated with flowers and ever
greens, two pine trees representing the Pine Tree
State.
Mrs. Charles Moore, president Of the Belfast W.
&. T. u, who with the other officers occupied seats
the stage, introduced as the speaker of the even
ing Mrs. Mary A. Woodbridge, of Ohio, recording
secretary of the National w. C. T. U. This lady
has been a public speaker for many years, ad.
dressing audiences in every State and Territory of
the Union, and is well qualified far the missionary
work in which she is engaged Evidently posses
sed of a rete1tivc memory, keen observation, and
abundant stores of information, she has strong
voice, distinct uttcrancc, is always earnest and
often eloquent. Her lecture although devoted to
one main purpose the suppression of the rum
traffic, touched upon various kindred topics-sucll
as national prohibition, woman suffrage, the i'm
migration problem, and the history of the temper
ance movement in the various States. She began
with an account of the origin of the W. G. 7. u,
not new to the readers of the journal, but most
gracefully told, and then spoke of the growth OF
the order, which now extends to every civilized
country. Her description of practical woman
suffrage in Kansas was most interesting, as were
the accounts of attempts to engraft prohibition
upon state constitutions In this direction Kansas
led off, followed by Maine and Rhode Island
While constitutional prohibition was defeated IN
wisconsin by a flaw in the anne n,lment, and in
Ohio the lecturer charged that the prohib!tionists
had been defeated in the count in the large cities
The statistics and facts presented with regard IL
the foreign population were decidedly alarming
In 1850 there 49, 100000 adults in this country
of whom q 100000 were foreign born or the child
rem of foreigners. In the ratio in 1900 there
will be 50,OO0000 foreign born to 3OOO0,OOO natl,
bonn The condition of Europe is such that mmi.
grafton mus: increase rather than diminish, and
the births among this class of citizens exceed
those among The native born. The lecturer told o;
the landIg Of these people at Castle Garden, where
their FIRST initiation is to be piled with liquor by
land agents, who then sell them land in the far
west, where there no schools or churches, and
where they necessarily grow up in ignorance
Before schools and churches reach them they are
set in their ways and confirmed in the habits
they brought from the Old World. They cannot
therefore become good citizens; and as they must
eventually be in Che majority in this country, here
is serious danger threatening the republic. The
remedy is to suppress the rum traffic, and by plac
ing temptation beyond their reach give them op
| portunity to become worthy citizens. In New
England twothirds of all the crime is committed
by the twenty per cent. of foreign population, and
but one-th;rd by the eighty per cent of native
population. Contrasting the temperance situation
| in Maine and Kansas the lecturer said she had
| been r forty eight counties in Kansas and had
| not seen an intoxicated person OF inhaled alcoho
| from the breath of any She could not say
the same of Maine. She has often visited and lee
| tured in State and in her opinion the liquor
traffic has increased here In the past ten years
| Space permits us to make but brief mention OF
this admirable address, which was delivered at :
most opportune time and cannot fail to be proluc
| tive of much good. At its close the audience re
| manned seated while collection was taken to de
| fray the expenses of the meeting, and Mrs. Wood
| bridge took this opportunity to urge the ladie.
| present to join the W. c. 7. L.. and many will dc
30 at the meeting next Saturday afternoon in tht
| | Ditarian paIlors.
Mrs. Woodbridge spoke in Winthrop Tues,la,
night, in Ellsworth Wednesday, and will be i,
Bangor to-day, TO remain several days